Rangers' Return
by Mystic Medjai
Summary: Nick comes back just like he promised to find things haven't changed much, or have they? A new enemy has arrived along with a new ranger, but why? Welcome home Nick! NickMaddie
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing! Except for maybe my computer...but my sister may disagree. Please enjoy

**Rating: **PG-13? I dunno, just to be safe I suppose

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Briarwood was calm, or at least it was considered calm when compared to the chaotic days the city had seen in the past. Humans and magic-folk alike walked the sidewalks going about their daily business as the sun burned brightly at one hundred degrees overhead. 

Madison fanned herself with a hand and flipped half-heartedly through a magazine behind the counter of Rock Porium. The store was usually slow on Sundays, but this was ridiculous. The dead were more lively than this place and the heat wasn't helping the stuffy mood that hung thickly in the air either.

"This is ridiculous," Vida growled voicing Madison's previous thoughts.

Maddie looked up from the magazine, her right hand still lightly fanning her cheeks. "What is?"

"The weather, the store, the—I'm going to kill Xander!" She vowed. Balling the rag she'd been using to dust, she chucked it over the back counter. "It was supposed to be our day off for crying out loud!"

"I think he said something about a lunch date when he left."

"It's not our job to cover his shifts, it's his job to make sure ours are." Vida leaned forward on the counter opposite her sister. "I mean, I know he's the manager and all, but honestly." A moment of silence passed between the two. "Wait, did you say lunch date?"

Madison nodded. "Mm hmm."

"He ditched us for a lunch date?! When did the girls start liking that idiot?"

"It's a mystery all right," Maddie nodded, "but you know how Xander is—,"

"He's nothing but a flirt," Vida interrupted.

"—but someone was going to like him back eventually," Maddie finished with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah," V spoke in a tone that said she'd rather be talking about anything but what they were talking about. "Since business is slow, I'm calling it a day, you in?"

"Should we? I mean we're the only ones here after all."

"No one's gonna come in anytime soon. We were supposed to meet Chip for pizza today so we're just honoring a previous engagement."

"Well when you put it that way," Madison said, already locking up the cash register. Vida pushed away from the counter and shrugged out of her purple Rock Porium uniform. "But if there are any marshmallows on that pizza, I'm out of there," she added.

"That makes two of us," Vida agreed. Holding the door open, she switched the store sign so it read 'closed' and followed Madison out, locking the door behind them. "Ready?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Together they headed down the sidewalk. They'd gone no more than ten steps when Madison stopped in her tracks. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on edge and a tingling sensation was crawling down her spine.

Realizing that her sister was no longer walking with her, Vida stopped and turned around. "What is it Sis?"

"Don't you sense that?" Madison glanced uneasily over her shoulder.

"Sense what?" Vida asked running out of patience.

"It's like the air is crackling or something." She turned to face the short-haired girl. "You mean you really don't sense it?"

Closing her eyes for a second, Vida absorbed her surroundings. A second later her eyes blinked open and she frowned. "Now that you mention it...the air does kind of feel different."

Before Madison could reply, a girl shot out of the tree directly across from the store and landed heavily on her back. Vida and Maddie exchanged a quick look before both girls dashed across the street to tower over the girl.

"Are you okay?" Madison asked.

The girl pushed herself up onto her elbows. "I think so." Tilting her head back she grinned up at the siblings. "Man that first step's a doozie."

"No doubt," Vida said with a smirk, offering her hand to the girl and hoisting her to her feet. "Was that your first time?" Tree-traveling, as Chip had nicknamed it, had become a normal part of Briarwood life. It was the quickest way for magic-users to travel.

"You could say that," the girl brushed off the grass bits from her jeans and jacket.

"You've got a little grass here too," Madison pointed to just above her own temple to demonstrate.

"Oh, thanks." The girl picked the blade from her black hair and flicked it onto the ground.

"Hey Maddie, we'd better go," V said glancing at her watch. Catching her sister's elbow, she started to lead her away. "Sorry we can't talk more, but we're running late."

"That's okay," the girl assured, "I don't want to keep you."

"Maybe we'll see you around!" Madison called over her shoulder.

"Maybe!" The girl waved them off and only let her arm drop when the sisters were out of sight. Sighing she looked around. "Now where's my backpack?" Suddenly, the tree portal opened again and a tan backpack shot out of it. Catching it in her arms, the force of the item knocked her off balance and she stumbled back over her own feet. Sitting up with a scowl, she tossed the bag to the side. "That was uncalled for!" She shouted to no one in particular.

Pedestrians gave her strange looks as they passed, but she ignored them. Sighing again she fell back onto her back, her arms outstretched on either side of her and she watched the sky overhead.

Across the street at Rock Porium, a motorcycle pulled to a stop. The rider balanced the bike with his foot and he removed his helmet.

Nick focused on the 'closed' sign that hung in the window of the door. Smoothing his hair back from his forehead he cursed his timing. He looked around, hoping to catch sight of one of his friends, but no one was around.

Beneath the shade of the tree across the street, he spotted a girl laying in the grass. She looked like she'd been there for awhile, but it was doubtful if she knew where his friends were. Weighing his options, he concluded he wouldn't lose anything by asking her a question or two. Swinging his leg over the bike, he left his helmet on the seat and made his way over to her.

Her eyes were closed when he reached her, but when his shadow fell across her form, her eyes snapped open and she shot up into a sitting position with a startled squeal.

"Hey, hey." He said in a somewhat soothing tone, guilty he had surprised her, "I'm sorry I scared you."

"That's all right," she murmured. Scrambling to her feet, she slid her arms into her backpack and pulled her long hair free after the bag had pinned it to her shoulderblades.

"I'm Nick," he said, offering her his hand, "Nick Russell."

She stared at his hand for a moment, her posture stiff, her eyes guarded, but she excepted his hand and shook it. "Melanie."

"Your parents stop at Melanie?" He said in a playful tone, aiming to break the tension and make her feel a little more comfortable.

She smiled a little. "Melanie Rose."

Smiling back he nodded. "I was wondering if you could help me."

"Depends on what you need help with, but I'll do what I can."

"I'm looking for a friend...well four actually. Two girls, two boys. Have you seen anyone?"

"Well I did see two girls just a little while ago," she confessed, almost reluctantly, but Nick figured he was reading too much into her tone.

"Really?" He asked, his hope rising.

She nodded. "They were both about the same height, one girl had short dark hair and the other had shoulder length hair the same color and they both had dark brown eyes. Um—,"

"That's them," Nick confirmed, "which way did they go?"

"That way," Melanie pointed in the direction Vida and Madison had left.

Nick followed her finger in the way she pointed. "Downtown huh? Hey, thanks for your—," but she was gone, "—help." He made a full circle, trying to find her, but she was gone. He frowned in confusion.

"Okaaaaay." He gave the area another quick once over before retreating back to his bike. Putting the helmet back on, he started the engine and then was off headed for downtown. He had a pretty good hunch as to where Vida and Madison had gone.

Nick parked the motorcycle a ways away from the pizza place and again left his helmet behind. No one was going to steal it in a place like Briarwood. He swung his keys around on his finger by the key-ring before stuffing them into his jacket pocket as he walked the rest of the way to the restaurant. It didn't take him long and soon he was looking at the familiar building.

The tables outside were all occupied, but it was easy to locate the party he was looking for. It wasn't hard to miss a red-headed guy wearing bright yellow with two girls wearing blue and pink. Nick looked down at his own red t-shirt complete with a black dragon emblem on the front. Apparently their fashion sense hadn't changed much. He smirked and made to move toward them but the moment he took a step forward there was a loud whistle-like screech.

Standing on the roof of the pizza parlor was a fish-like monster. It had the legs and arms of a frog, a tail that ended with a fin, and scales all over its blue-green colored body. It let out another of its whistle-screeches and with a wave of its arms, rain came down on the people in sheets. Civilians screamed and tripped over one another in their haste to get away.

Nick didn't realize he'd started running until he was pushing his way through the fear-stricken people. When they didn't move out of his way fast enough he pushed them non-to-gently out of his way. Not surprisingly, Chip, Vida, and Madison had stayed behind and had their eyes glued to the water monster above.

It laughed gleefully and with another wave of its arms, a jet of water shot towards the rangers. Acting before he could thing Nick ran towards them, but had forgotten that their reflexes were as sharp as his own. While he ran toward them all three of his friends leapt to safety while he continued to run toward the water attack.

"Watch out!"

And before he knew what was happening he felt someone tackling him from the side and both of them landed heavily on the pavement. The blast of water crashed into the ground where Nick had been seconds prior and water rained down on them once more.

"Thanks," Nick grunted, pushing himself up into a sitting position, "I owe you one."

"Whatever," a very feminine voice answered irritably, "pay attention next time so I don't have to save your sorry butt."

"What the hell is your problem?" Nick growled, "I said thank you. No need to bite...my..." he trailed off when he finally laid eyes on the person who had saved him. Standing over him and glaring down, or at least he thought was glaring down at him, was a mystic force power ranger.

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**A/N: **The end! No not really, unless no one is reading or enjoying...though I'll probably write it anyway just for myself so there! 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I've said it once, I'll say it again. PRMF is not mine!

**A/N: **Chapter two...enjoy!

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The silence that ensued was deafening, almost awkward. The kind of silence a single cricket would dare to break and then it would get stepped on.

"Nick!"

And just like that the sound was restored. Screaming people; running footsteps; his blood pounding in his ears.

Nick glanced back over his shoulder to see his friends running in his direction. Chip and Vida took defensive positions in front of him and Madison knelt down next to him.

"Nick, are you okay?" She asked anxiously. He realized she'd been the one who'd called his name before. Slowly, as if afraid she'd startle him, she rested a hand on his shoulder. "Are you hurt?"

In front of them he could see Chip and Vida turn their heads slightly in their direction to hear his answer.

"I'm fine," he answered, his voice a little rough. The wind had been knocked out of him and he was still recovering.

"Okay then. Next question." Vida narrowed her eyes at the new ranger in front of them. "Who are you?"

"No one you need to worry about," she answered coldly, "just stay, out of my way and you won't get hurt."

"We've handled our fair share of monsters before," Chip announced confidently. He still held his defensive position next to Vida.

"I wasn't talking about the monster." The gold colored helmet turned toward him. "If you get in my way, I won't hold any restraint for you even if we are on the same side."

"Threatening us doesn't exactly suggest that we're on the same team," Nick pointed out bitterly. Picking himself up off of the ground he brushed off his jacket, his blue-green eyes fixed on his 'savior'.

"Stay out of my way, understand?" Her tone was hostile and she said each word slowly.

Before any of the original mystic rangers could react, the newest one leapt away to deal with the aquatic monster.

"He-ey! What's going on?" A voice laced with an Australian accent called out.

Xander slid to a stop in front of the others and bent over, hands resting on his knees, as he tried to catch his breath. "I heard all the ruckus, everyone alright?"

"I thought you were on a date?" Vida said accusingly, the battle on the roof of the pizza parlor momentarily forgotten.

"I was, but it kind of got interrupted," Xander straightened to his full height. "Nick? Hey when did you get back?" He grinned. A smile which, vanished immediately after Nick spoke.

"Around the same time she got here I'd say," Nick lifted a hand to point at the battling ranger.

Xander looked up in the direction Nick was pointing in. His eyes widened a little. "I sure did miss a lot."

"Ya think?" Vida answered sarcastically.

Madison shifted her weight to her right foot. "Don't you think we should help her?"

"Why bother?" Nick replied, "She obviously doesn't want it."

"I was just saying..." Madison almost looked hurt. "What should it matter if she wants help anyway? The important thing is if she _needs _it."

"I don't know Sis," Vida used her hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she observed the fight. "It looks as if she's handling herself pretty well."

And indeed she was. She moved as if she already knew what the monster would do next. She danced around the water attacks, ducked the punches, blocked the kicks, but then the monster swung its tail out and knocked her feet out from under her.

The golden ranger fell heavily on her back. The monster's tail swung around again, aiming for a blow to her stomach, but at the last minute she rolled away and leapt to her feet.

"Magi Staff!" She yelled whipping the weapon out from the belt at her waist. "Sword mode!" There was flash of light and then, clasped tightly in her gloved hand, was a sword that strongly resembled the one Nick used to use.

Spinning around on her heal she swung out with her right leg. When the monster caught her ankle she kicked off of the ground with her left and spun her body around to slam her left heel into the creature's temple.

As soon as her right foot was released she swung her legs up over her head in a flip and landed in a crouch. The monster regained its balance and charged, but the ranger held her position. She clasped the hilt of the sword tightly in her hands and waited until the monster was close enough to thrust up the weapon so that the water beast literally embedded itself on the blade.

Everything seemed to slowdown as a moment of anxiety passed. Then the color of the monster melted away until it was completely transparent and then it fell into a puddle at the girl's feet.

"It turned to water," Madison murmured in amazement.

"That was brutal," Chip murmured amazed. He laughed a little. "Awesome!" Vida rolled her eyes at him.

On the rooftop, the ranger's sword returned to magi staff mode and she tucked it back into her belt. She walked to the edge of the roof and she looked down at the group of friends as if she were sizing them up. Then she spun around, her cape billowing out behind her, and took off at a dead run, jumping from rooftop to rooftop until she was out of sight.

"So..." Xander cleared his throat and massaged the back of his neck, "who's watching the store?"

Vida felt her eye twitch in annoyance. "Yeah, about that…I've got a bone to pick with you!"

Fifteen minutes later five people filed into the Rock Porium. Nick's bike was parked safely at the curb just outside the door. The sign that hung in the door window was left unturned and still displayed the word 'closed' to the few pedestrians that still walked the sidewalks.

"So how'd everything go mate?" Xander asked, casually leaning back on the counter. "You're adoptive parents cool with everything?"

"Yeah!" Chip seconded enthusiastically, "I mean you were gone for awhile. We were beginning to wonder if you'd ever come back."

"What about Udonna and Leanbow?" Vida asked. She ran her fingers over some of the merchandise subconsciously checking for dust before turning around to face Nick.

"They're at Root Core," Nick answered.

"Why are they there and not here?" Chip spoke again.

"They figured our reunion was something that should be just us five."

"Some reunion," Xander said with a hint of a smile. "Hey Nick, interesting monster wouldn't you say? And let's not forget the new ranger who appeared out of nowhere and totally kicked that monster's a—,"

"What's wrong Maddie?" Vida interrupted. She shot a warning look at Xander before looking at her sister with a concerned one. The others immediately turned their attention to Madison who'd distanced herself away from them. Somehow, without their notice, she'd slipped past them to stand behind the back counter.

She looked up with an almost guilty expression as if she was a little girl again who'd been caught with her hand in the cookie-jar. "Me?" She shook her head, smiling reassuringly. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine."

"Well you haven't said a word at all. I was starting to get a little worried," Vida confessed.

Maddie smiled. "I'm okay. It's good to have you back Nick. I'll bring you your blanket as soon as possible."

Chip and Xander exchanged perplexed looks. This was not how they'd expected Madison to react to Nick's arrival. Vida shifted uneasily and suddenly found the floor very intriguing.

Nick looked at her with an almost lost expression, his smile long gone. "No rush," he said, responding to her promise to return his blanket. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

Vida was the first one to catch the hint. "I'm parched. Thanks to our fishy friend I wasn't able to finish my coke. What about you guys?" She gave the other two meaningful looks, trying to convey the hint to them.

"Huh?" Chip looked confused. Vida's look hardened. She jerked her head toward Nick and Madison and then toward the door. "Oh! Yeah, me too."

"Sounds good. After running four blocks and then walking all of the way back here, I could go for a little pick-me-up," Xander rambled, already opening the door. He shuffled Chip and Vida out before him and closed the door behind them.

It took a few seconds for the bell above the door to stop ringing and after the sound was gone, Madison found herself missing the sound. It was uncomfortably quiet and the tension in the air was so thick it was almost suffocating.

Nick was the first to speak. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Madison replied resting her elbows on the counter and leaning forward.

"No I mean, what's going on? What's wrong?"

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

"Other than the fact that Vida mentioned it and you won't look me in the eye?"

Madison looked up, her eyes meeting his for a few seconds and then she looked away.

"I rest my case." Nick crossed his arms nonchalantly over his chest. "We're friends Maddie, you can tell me."

"It's just," she paused here, unsure of what to say. She bit her lower lip in a nervous habit. "It's just...never mind." She spun around and bolted for the back door.

It took half a second for Nick to react. He lurched forward, barely dodging the counter in his rushed pursue of her. He caught her elbow just as she opened the door. "Why are you running away? I thought you were past all of that? Being shy I mean."

"I'm not shy! I mean…I thought I wasn't, but…" She sighed. Her tone had been confident, almost heated in the beginning, but the longer she talked the quieter she became and she had yet to turn and face him directly.

Nick was a little nervous. What had happened to the girl who'd told him off for almost giving up? The girl who had asked him to come back for her? When had she retreated back into the shell he and the others had gradually helped her come out of?

His grip on her arm tightened a little. "Did something happen while I was gone?" He demanded.

"What?" She was surprised. "No nothing."

"Then what's wrong?" Gently he forced her to turn and face him, but he stopped himself from tilting her chin up so he could look her in the eyes. "This isn't like you."

"It's all wrong."

He was confused. "What is?"

"This. It wasn't supposed to be like this."

"What wasn't?"

"Your return to Briarwood, it wasn't supposed to be awkward. It wasn't supposed to happen during a battle. It was supposed to be fun!" By the end she was almost shouting. "I was really scared you'd been hurt you know!"

To say Nick was surprised as an understatement. She was scolding him for worrying her. If the situation wasn't as serious as it was, he had a feeling he'd be smirking right about now.

"It's just all wrong!"

Nick let out a deep breath slowly and ran his hand through his short hair. He was, for lack of a better word, speechless. "You're right." He laughed half-heartedly. "It wasn't exactly how I'd imagined it either."

She eyed him out of the corner of her eyes. He sighed again. "I'm sorry Madison." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "I didn't mean to scare you–and–I–we should go."

"Huh?"

Nick pulled his hand away from her shoulder. "Mom and Dad are waiting at Root Core, and I haven't seen Daggeron, Clare, Genji, or Fireheart yet."

"Oh, right." Madison tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "They'll be very happy to see you."

"Come on, let's go find our friends." Nick nodded his head toward the front door. When he turned, he had to stop short, nearly running into the counter yet again. Hoping he didn't look as awkward as he felt Nick moved around it and headed straight for the door, eyes peeled for any other tables or counters he may run into along the way.

Madison smiled when Nick almost hit the counter and using her better judgment she didn't make a sound to hint that she'd seen him. Following, she wasn't surprised to see Xander and Chip stumble into the store after Nick opened the door, but she hadn't expected to see her sister stumble in with them.

"Where you guys listening in on us?" Madison accused, frowning at them all.

Xander was first to recover. "Us? Eavesdropping?" He smoothed out a non-existent wrinkle from the sleeve of his shirt, a guilty gesture, and his eyes looked at everything but them. "Of course not."

"Nope," Chip said trying to play it cool, "not us. We were just coming back from getting Vida's drink. Right V?"

"Right," the short haired girl confirmed.

"So where is it?" Nick asked, glancing at the girl's empty hands. He lifted an eyebrow at her, giving her a look. Immediately she put her hands behind her back.

"I was _really _thirsty."

A moment of silence passed between the five friends before all of them started to laugh.

"When was the last time you guys went to Root Core?" Nick asked after the laughing subsided.

"Well I was there the day before yesterday," Chip answered. He struck a pose he thought befitting of a hero. "I've been training with Daggeron!"

"Unfortunately...it's been awhile since Xander, Vida, and I have been there," Madison confessed.

"All the more reason for us to go now then," Nick moved through the still open door and led the way across the street to the tree. He glanced back to make sure the others were following before pressing his palm to the bark and thinking of the trees closest to Root Core.

The colors of the world around him melted into a spinning blur and he felt a strong yank around his back as he was sucked into the tree. Seconds later he was thrown from another tree and stumbled forward a few steps. The red eyes of the dragon head entrance to Root Core seemed to watch him with an amused glint underneath the ruby color.

He turned to make room for his friends who would be following him in just a few seconds. First Xander lumbered forward followed by Vida, then Madison, and then Chip.

As one they all turned to face the entrance of Root Core. A moment of anticipating silence passed before Nick led his team forward as the jaws of the dragon opened wide to allow them through.

Clare was putting away an armful of books on the shelves behind the Xenotome's podium when they entered. She was humming to herself as she worked and by chance she glanced over her shoulder.

"Oh hi guys! Just give me a second." A few seconds passed and then she did a double take. The few books she still held in her arms fell to the floor with a clatter. "Nick!"

"Hey Clare," all Nick saw a blur of motion and then the blonde was hugging him. She pulled back and beamed up at him.

"I'm so glad you're back! I was _so _excited when Udonna and Leanbow got here. They told me you'd gone to meet the others and I've been so anxious! I've been practicing my spells you know and now I'm even better than when you left. Oh just wait until Fireheart, Daggeron and Genji see you!" She gasped here as a flash of realization graced her figures. "Daggeron and Genji! They left just a little while ago! I should go get them!" She held her arms up, ready to cast a transportation spell.

"Wait a minute," Nick interrupted before she could chant the necessary words, "where are my parents?"

Clare frowned in thought. "Outside I think."

"Thanks," Nick smiled.

"No problem!" Clare smiled back, and then with a quickly murmured spell and a wave of her hands she vanished in a shower of golden sparkles.

"Some people never change," Vida said, amused.

"Lucky for us, don't you think?" Chip responded with a smile. Vida agreed with a nod.

"It's almost bittersweet to be back here," Madison commented. Wandering over to the round table in the center of the room, she traced the blue ranger symbol with the tip of her finger. She knew it so well, she had no doubt she could have done it with her eyes closed. She looked back at the others. "Don't you guys think so?"

"Yeah, it kind of is," Xander agreed.

Chip looked longingly at the brooms that had been their mystic racers. "I miss flying."

Vida pulled out her chair from the table and spun it around to sit in it backwards. She propped her arms on the back of the chair and looked around. "If you ask me, I think it is a little weird being here again without being actual rangers."

"We're still rangers!" Chip protested, looking back at her over his shoulder. "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger!"

"That's not what I meant," the girl waved him off.

"What did you mean?" asked Nick.

"It's weird being here and not being a _current _Ranger." She shot Chip a look that said 'happy?' Chip nodded with a smile.

Madison also took a seat. "True." She looked thoughtful for a moment and then giggled.

"What's so funny?" Xander asked curiously from a few feet away.

"I was just thinking…none of us have graduated from college and we're already retired."

Nick smiled. "That is a little ironic."

"You don't suppose that we could actually get our magic back do you?" Vida asked curiously, resting her chin on her arms.

"I don't know, I never really thought about it." Nick responded honestly. "Though I don't see why we wouldn't be able to. I mean…Clare still has her magic and the Mystic Mother did say that magic can't be destroyed."

A thoughtful silence settled upon them all.

"But it's not like we need the power to become rangers anyway and besides, we still have our basic magic."

"Mmm," Vida grunted in response.

"Only problem is we're way out of practice," Xander pointed out.

"Clare?" Udonna called out before walking into the room they all occupied. "How are we on---oh! You're here."

"Hey mom," Nick raised a hand in an almost lazy wave. The others all followed with warm, spoken, greetings.

"My, you have all grown so much," Udonna said with a gentle smile.

"Really?" Chip asked hopefully. He stood up taller and took in a deep breath to puff out his chest. "Because I'm about 5' 10" and I'm hoping to grow another inch or two."

"I don't think she meant we've grown literally," Madison smiled, "more in a maturing kind of way."

"Oh," Chip looked disappointed for a second before he shook it off with a smile of his own. "That's cool too." Everyone shared a laugh over that.

"What is this? Some sort of party that I wasn't invited too?" Leanbow strode in confidently and wrapped an arm around Udonna's shoulders. "Long time no see, you all look well."

"I agree," Xander said with a smirk.

Vida gave the Australian a disgusted look before elbowing him in the side.

Xander grunted and hunched over a little. "What was that for?" He hissed.

"For acting like a player," she replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"It is part of my charm," he winked at her and then jumped to the side to dodge the next elbow attack.

"How was the trip?" Madison asked Udonna and Leanbow. "Did it go smoothly for you?"

"Very," Udonna nodded, "you could even call it a sort of vacation."

Outside they could hear the dragon entrance open and a few seconds later a few muffled voices. Then Clare walked in with Daggeron and Genji close behind.

"Madison!" Genji cried happily. Rushing forward he swooped the surprised girl off of her chair and into a tight bear hug.

"Hi Genji, it's nice to see you," she gasped, "but I can't breathe."

"Oops," the feline genie placed her down on her feet, "sorry."

She smiled at him. "That's okay."

Daggeron stepped forward and held his hand out to Nick. "Welcome back Nick."

Nick accepted his hand. "It's good to be back."

"Everything go as well as you'd hoped?" Daggeron asked. Nick nodded.

"You see? Now _that's_ how a reunion is _supposed _to happen!" Vida commented. The others nodded in agreement before dark looks graced all their faces.

"What do you mean?" Udonna inquired.

"Did something happen that we should know about?" Leanbow added. He gave his son an expectant look. "Explain."

Nick shifted his weight uneasily. Somehow 'Yeah…so…we saw a gold mystic ranger today!' just wasn't going to cut it. His eyes wandered all over the room and focused on anything but his parents.

"Son?" Leanbow was beginning to get a little worried.

"Well actually," Madison answered, taking note of Nick's discomfort, "it's really an unbelievable story."

"Let us be the judge of that," said Daggeron in the tone he had used when mentoring them in the past.

Now it was Maddie's turn to fidget under the curious, unwavering, looks of those who had not seen the new Ranger. "Today there was an attack in the city."

"An attack?" Udonna was astonished, "what kind of attack?"

"A supernatural one, but that's not all."

"You mean there's _more_!?" asked Clare in bewilderment.

Madison nodded. "There really wasn't a whole lot that we could do to stop the monster, and then," she paused and took a deep breath. The others all gave her encouraging looks. "And then another Ranger appeared and finished it off." She purposefully left out the part where the girl had tackled Nick out of harm's way. There was no need to concern his parents any more than they already were.

Nick shot her a grateful look, thankful she hadn't included that little piece of information.

"Another ranger," Genji turned to Daggeron, "is that even possible?"

"It's possible all right," Vida chimed in before Daggeron could speak, "unless all five of us were hallucinating."

Chip shook his head. "I _definitely _wasn't hallucinating."

Xander nodded.

"Mom? Dad?" Nick gave his parents a searching look. "Do you have any sort of explanation for this?"

"Maybe she's from the future!" Chip suggested.

"Even _if _that were possible, there is no specific gold mystic to inherit the power from," Udonna explained, "that is after all how you all received yours."

"From the Mystics," Madison clarified. Udonna nodded to confirm.

"Well, what about you Udonna?" Vida asked, "Which mystic do you inherit your power from?"

Udonna flashed an amused smile toward the older of the Rocca sisters. "The Snow Prince."

"And Daggeron?" Xander looked at his former mentor with a curious expression.

Daggeron stood up straighter and rolled his shoulders to release the tension that had built up there. "I _am _a Mystic."

"Xander," Madison tried and nearly failed to keep from laughing, "did you forget about his Ancient Mystic Mode?"

Shrugging a shoulder casually, Xander then crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe...but in my defense there are no stupid questions."

"Only stupid people," Vida murmured under her breath. She smiled a fake, sugary smile when Xander flashed an irritated look in her direction.

"Well maybe the gold mystic ranger takes after Daggeron," Clare offered, "after all Nick represents Leanbow, the Red Mystic, doesn't he?"

Nick and Leanbow nodded in unison.

"And his color _is _practically gold even if he isn't 'specifically' a golden mystic." Clare did the air quotes with her fingers

"Well I suppose if I were to have a successor he or she would be a golden ranger," Daggeron started thoughtfully, "but I haven't passed on my element like Leanbow."

"Not yet, no, but you will."

Everyone whirled around to see the gold ranger standing in the doorway of Root Core.

"You!" Nick growled almost accusingly, "what are you doing here?"

Daggeron put a soothing hand on the red ranger's shoulder and calmly stepped around him. "What do you mean 'not yet'?"

The gold ranger straightened to stand taller and lifted her chin. "It's possible, because I'm from the future."

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, a few notes. I'm not positive if Daggeron is really a Mystic, but in the japanese version the Solaris Knight is a mystic, so I'm playing off of that. If you have any other questions...ask! Hope you enjoyed 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay! Enjoy

* * *

"Ha!" Chip's fist pounded the air victoriously. "I knew she was from the future!" Stacking his fists on top of each other he drew large circles in front of him in the cabbage patch dance move. "Hang on a second," he stopped his dancing and turned around to gape at the girl who still stood in the doorway. "You're from the future!?"

"Nuh-uh, no way, I'm not buying," Nick shook his head and side-stepped around Daggeron.

"Hold on Nick," Daggeron spoke, "let's hear what she has to say."

"Well can she at least power down?" Vida huffed, "it's starting to make me uncomfortable."

"I can't do that," the girl spoke.

"Why? Got something to hide?" Nick crossed his arms over his chest, his shoulders tense.

The dragon-head shaped visor turned toward him. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but I _need_ you to believe me when I say it's for the best that I don't power down."

"Why?" Madison asked curiously.

"It's a long story."

"Then give us the short version," Nick told her.

"All right, in the future a new enemy has arisen and when they realized that they couldn't beat the Rangers of my time, they decided to attack the rangers of the past and ultimately change the future." She paused to take a breath and then continued, "my mentors were unable to come back themselves because it would alter the past too much, so they sent me instead."

"Hasn't the past already changed?" Xander asked at the same time Daggeron asked "who are your mentors?"

The ranger turned to Xander first. "Yes it has, but not as much if my mentors had come in my place and as for whom my mentors are," she looked at Daggeron, "my mentors are you and…" she looked at everyone in the room in turn "all of you guys."

"Us?" Vida scoffed, "we don't even have our Ranger abilities anymore."

"Not yet you don't."

"Are you saying that we can get our ranger powers back?" Chip asked hopefully. Those who had glanced at Chip when he'd asked his question turned their attention back to the ranger. From a bystander's point of view, it would look like they were following the ball of a tennis match.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," the ranger replied. "In fact, if what I've been told is true, you should already have them."

"Wouldn't we know if we had our powers back?" Nick demanded suspiciously. His eyes were still narrowed and trained on the girl. If her face hadn't been obscured by a ranger helmet they would have seen her eyes shift a little uncomfortably.

"I agree with Nick," Clare murmured fiddling with the fabric of her dress, "the Xenotome hasn't said anything about it."

"But have you checked the Xenotome?" The ranger asked, "…recently?"

Clare's eyes widened slightly and she rushed over to the book that lay closed on the podium. Her hand hovered over the cover and she looked up at everyone in the room who all watched her anxiously. Udonna lay her hands soothingly on the blonde's shoulders and swallowing Clare opened it to the very back where 'The End' was written in curvy letters over the entire last page.

Both Udonna and Clare looked up at the ranger. Nick glanced back with an 'I-knew-you-were-lying' kind of look, but then both sorceresses gasped in unison.

Before their very eyes 'The End' faded way, the black lettering bled into the paper, and then the entire page was filled with words written in the ancient language.

"What happened?" Leanbow asked.

Genji nearly flinched away, "It's not going to explode or anything is it?"

"This…this is unbelievable!" Clare exclaimed.

"Well read it!" Vida snapped impatiently, "please?" she added after Madison gave her a look.

"And so begins the next chapter for the Mystic Force as a new enemy and a new Ranger arrive," Udonna read aloud. Everyone turned to look at the golden ranger.

"Don't look at me like that!" The girl took a step back and held her hands up as if to ward them off, "and by the way…I _so _told you so!"

Frowning thoughtfully Madison instinctively reached for her hip to see if a morpher had magically appeared, but her fingers met air. "Nothing happened."

And just as she spoke, the five mystic emblems began to glow on their table. At first the light was white, but then they slowly started to fade into their respective colors. An amazed silence fell over Root Core as everyone watched, stunned, as one by one, wands began to form out of the lights. The light faded and all five wands fell to the table with a clatter.

"Um…scratch that last part," Madison mumbled while reaching for the twisted wand with the blue fin emblem on top. Just like the first time she'd touched it, the crystal figure flashed a light blue and then, as if it had a memory of its own, the wand transformed into a cell phone.

After a second, Vida reached for her own wand and watched the butterfly gleam pink and then transform into a cell phone as well.

"All, right!" Chip exclaimed happily and leapt for his own.

"Here you go mate," Xander held Nick's wand to him. "What's wrong?" he asked when the red ranger didn't move to take it.

Nick cast one final, suspicious, look toward the gold ranger before accepting it.

The Xenotome also gave a flash of light and three glowing balls flew out. One stopped to hover in front of Udonna, one in front of Leanbow, and the third in front of Daggeron. Before they could even reach up to touch them the glowing spheres molded into the shapes of their morphers and began to fall. All three of them caught the morphers before they could reach the ground.

"Time for a test-drive!" Flipping the phone open, Chip pointed it at the first thing he saw, which just so happened to be Vida's chair. With a flick of his wrist the chair shot up into the air…taking Vida with it.

"CHIP!"

Madison was the first one to burst out laughing at the expression on Vida's face and soon everyone followed suit.

"This is SO not funny!" The Rocca sister growled, clutching onto the back of the chair so as not to fall off, "put me down _right _NOW!"

Chip's smile widened and he shrugged a shoulder. "If you say so," and with another flick of his wrist the chair came down, but not as he intended. When Vida was half-way down the spell completely broke and gravity took over.

"Oops!" Chip flinched in embarrassment and pointed his wand at the chair again and it halted in midair, but Vida was no longer in it and continued to fall.

"I got her!" Xander called and positioned himself under the falling girl. He caught her bridal style and one of her arms automatically hooked around his neck.

Vida blinked up at him looking flustered, "Thanks Xander."

He shot her a flirtatious, mischievous smile. "No worries, I'll always be your Prince Charming."

Vida's eyes narrowed and she felt a sudden urge to slap him upside the head. His smile still firmly in place, Xander set her down on her feet.

"Sorry V," Chip apologized sheepishly, "I guess I'm a little rusty."

"Don't worry about it," she waved him off and sat in her chair again, which Chip had already levitated back to the floor, "just don't do it again," she added, giving him a mock glare.

"Looks like some training is in order," Daggeron spoke once Vida was safely on the ground.

"For all of us," Leanbow added.

"It doesn't seem fair," Xander sighed, "we spent so much time improving our magic before and now we're practically back to square one."

"We have been pretty much magic free ever since we defeated The Master," Madison pointed out to him.

"Um guys…I'm afraid training is going to have to wait," Clare said barely above a whisper, "Look!"

Everyone's attention was directed toward the crystal ball in the center of the table. Inside the glowing sphere was a dark mass of black mist which then thinned out to form an image of Hidiacs and Styxoids attacking Woodland Village.

"Great, this is exactly what we need right now!" Vida chirped with fake excitement.

Nick's expression hardened at the image of screaming villagers. "You guys know what to do." Without a word the four rangers shuffled to their feet.

"We'll go with you," Udonna offered moving to follow.

"No, you should probably stay here."

Daggeron nodded in agreement. "I think Nick is right."

Nick smirked slightly. "Let's just say this is a practice run for…training purposes." Backing up he took his place in front of the others and whipped out his morpher. "Ready rangers!?"

"Ready!"

"Magical Source! Mystic Force!"

A second later, five newly transformed rangers stood together in the center of Root Core.

"Man it feels good to be back in yellow!" Chip exclaimed. He rolled his shoulders as if he were releasing tension that built up there and grinned behind his visor.

"Not now Chip," Madison said hurriedly, grasping the boy's elbow and steering him toward their brooms. One by one the rangers grabbed their brooms and rushed for the other side of the room where the rotating doors were located, leaving Nick behind.

"Be careful," Leanbow walked up and lay a hand on his son's shoulder, "don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"No worries," Nick responded. He spoke in a tone that held no doubt he was smiling confidently inside his helmet, "I'm an old pro."

Turning around he grasped the golden ranger's wrist and dragged her toward the exits after grabbing his own broom. "You're coming with me," and before she could protest she was flattened against the wall next to him and the door was spinning.

"What kept you Nick?" Xander called when they finally caught up.

Nick slowed his mystic speeder down just slightly so as not to pass the others. "I had a little something to take care of…" he nodded his head over his shoulder and Xander glanced back.

Flattened to Nick's back and clutching his waist tightly in her arms was the golden ranger. Xander laughed at her extremely stiff posture and turned his attention back to where he was flying.

It took them no more than three minutes to reach the village. Down below there was a swarm of Hidiacs and Styxoids that had the rangers almost wincing in anticipation and if it weren't for the variety of colors the villagers wore they would have doubted there were any at all.

"Circle back around!" Nick called to the others and they all followed his example except for the one currently acting as his passenger. The death grip around his stomach vanished and he felt her shift her body weight to jump.

Nick instinctively tightened his grip to keep the racer steady. He growled. "What are you crazy!?"

"I know what I'm doing!" She growled in return before sliding off the back of the racer and taking out three Hidiacs when she landed on the ground.

"She's got the right idea!" Vida exclaimed and also leapt down. Chip was right behind her followed by Xander, Madison, and then Nick.

"Itasis!" Madison made her way over to the ex-terror who was completely surrounded. "Magi Staff!" A powerful blast of water sent the Hidiacs in her way flying.

"Blue Ranger?" Although Itasis sounded calm there was a hint of surprise in her tone. "The Rangers have their powers back."

Maddie nodded once. Dropping down to the ground she swept the feet out from underneath a Styxoid and sent another back into a tree with a powerful kick.

"Help the villagers escape to safety!" Madison gasped while dodging a blow, "we can handle these guys."

"Very well," Itasis replied and vanished from Maddie's line of sight.

Spread throughout the entire village, each ranger was handling their fair share of opponents.

"Tornado power!" Spinning rapidly until she was lifted off the ground by the force of her magic, Vida delivered a batch of Hidiacs into Xander's lashing vines where they were fastened tightly to nearby trees.

Sometime during the fight, Chip and the gold ranger ended up back to back.

"Come to join my party?" he asked playfully while fending off a stubborn Hidiac.

"Of course," she replied just as playfully, "though it seems like you have some unwanted party guests."

Chip shrugged a shoulder. "There's a batch of party-crashes at every one," he held his hands out to her, "dance with me?"

She grasped his arms just below the elbows and he did the same for her. Then, he swung her around and she took out several Hidiacs with forceful kicks and when she landed she swung him around and he took out the next group. The process continued until every single one of their opponents was on the ground.

A purple spell seal, identical to the ones used by Koragg appeared beneath them, threatening to drag Chip and the gold ranger down with the Hidiacs and Styxoids. Before it could, both of them leapt out of the way.

One of the Styxoids fighting Nick glanced up and pointed its weapon at the gold ranger and fired. Distracted by the spell seal, the attack hit her square in the back and her transformation shattered immediately in a shower of golden lights.

Nick's attention was divided between watching the girl fall into a rather large bush and fending off the remaining Hidiacs, which didn't take long because another spell seal formed and whisked them all away.

A moment of stunned silence settled upon the rangers, all of them still tense for another battle in case the enemy decided to make a second appearance. When none did, all five powered down and Nick moved toward the bush. He didn't get far when the gold ranger came crawling out. Surprisingly, none of the branches caught on her cape.

"Are you okay?" Maddie asked, offering her hand to the girl, but she was already getting up onto her feet.

"Yeah, man that first step's a doozie."

"Wait, what did you say?" Vida asked. A touch of suspicion was beginning to seep into her tone.

"I saw you," Nick interrupted, "you lost your transformation."

"Just, like that?" Xander asked with a quirked eyebrow. "It takes a lot to lose a transformation."

"It takes a lot to hold it for a long period of time," the girl pointed out defensively.

"You're that girl aren't you?" Nick continued like the subject hadn't just been changed, "the one I met earlier…"

"We met a girl earlier today too," Vida commented, moving to stand next to her sister.

"Melanie…" Nick continued, "…and you told me which way Maddie and Vida had gone. _You're_ Melanie aren't you?"

"I don't know who you're talking about," the gold ranger answered while retreating a few steps.

"Of course you don't," Vida said sarcastically and crossed her arms over her chest. Madison shifted her weight to her left foot in an uncomfortable action.

"Hey! You guys!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. Clare was waving toward them from the other side of a clearing, the villagers behind her along with Itasis, Daggeron, and Nick's parents.

Madison did a double take. "Isn't that _her_ Nick? Isn't that Melanie?" She pointed to a girl who was walking amongst the crowd.

"But that's not possible," The red ranger said disbelievingly and he whirled around to confront the gold ranger.

"Hey, where'd she go?" Chip asked and looked around wildly, "she was just here!"

"That's the end of that theory," said Xander, his eyes focused on the approaching crowd, and more specifically, on the girl the red, pink, and blue rangers had singled out.

"She disappeared," Chip murmured, still looking around the forest hoping to see if he could find the ranger, "I've _got _to learn how she did it!"

"Well done rangers," Daggeron congratulated when he reached them, "I couldn't have done any better."

"Unfortunately a spell seal appeared before we could finish the job," grumbled Vida while tossing her head a little to flick the bangs out of her eyes.

"What I want to know is who summoned that spell seal," said Madison.

"That girl should know shouldn't she?" asked Genji. His hands moved as he spoke and his head tilted to the side in a very feline-ish way. "That gold ranger person."

Leanbow frowned, having arrived in time to catch the last few parts of the conversation. "Where exactly is the gold ranger?"

Nick mirrored his father's expression, "that's just it, we don't know. She left when we weren't looking."

"This makes things a little more complicated," Leanbow said thoughtfully, "I was hoping to ask her a few questions to clear some things up."

"Too bad she disappeared," Chip's shoulders slumped. He was disappointed that he had no idea how she had made her getaway.

"Or did she?" Nick asked no one in particular. Stepping around the other rangers he made his way toward Melanie who was currently helping a nymph right a wooden carriage.

Vida raised an eyebrow in mild confusion. "What's he up to?"

"I don't know," Maddie answered just as confused, "let's go keep an eye on him." Catching her sister's elbow she tugged her toward them.

"And as for us," Daggeron said, addressing the others, "we'll help the villagers clean up. A little magic would certainly do this place good and we do need the practice."

Whipping out their wands, Xander and Chip wandered off to find the worst of the damage done to Woodland Village.

"Hey, I'm on to you," Nick stated calmly when Melanie turned around to face him. She flipped the long braid over her shoulder and smoothed her bangs back from her forehead.

"I remember you!" She exclaimed, "Did you find your friends?"

Nick's eyes narrowed slightly. "You tell me."

She regarded him with a lost expression. "Huh?"

"Stop playing dumb," Nick said almost accusingly, "I know who you are."

Melanie tilted her head slightly, but her expression remained lost. "That's because we met earlier. You introduced yourself, I introduced myself. Remember?"

"I know you're the gold ranger," said Nick, taking a step toward her.

"You mean there's a gold ranger?! No way!"

"I saw you!" He shouted.

"Nick! Calm down!" Vida growled, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back.

Madison said nothing to him, but lay a soothing hand on his lower arm and stepped in front of him slightly. "We met this morning too, do you remember?"

"Of course I do," Melanie replied, "you're Madison Rocca and you're Vida Rocca."

Maddie frowned. "But how did you-?"

"Who doesn't know you?" Melanie asked, "You're the Power Rangers!"

"She does have a point there," Vida pointed out. "We are sort of celebrities now."

"I still believe you know more then you're letting on," Nick chimed in, calmer now. "I know what I saw."

"Are you sure about that?" V challenged, "after all, we saw Melanie all the way across the clearing when we were standing right next to the gold ranger. There's no way she…they… would be able to switch places that quickly."

Nick grunted in acknowledgement, reluctant to admit that she was right.

"I was wondering," Maddie began slowly, "since we've decided that you're not the gold ranger, just what does bring you to Briarwood anyway?"

"Well we, as in my parents and I, heard about these powerful magicians from Briarwood, The Mystic Force." At this point of her explanation, Melanie began to fidget with the hem of her jacket in a nervous action. "So, we agreed that I could come here to…perfect my magic."

"You have magic?" Vida asked in surprise. "I'm impressed."

"Thanks," Melanie said in embarrassment.

Nick sighed, "I'm…sorry. I shouldn't have accused you."

"Apology accepted," she replied and held her hand out to him. He grasped it and then she let go.

"Come on," Vida said, nudging Melanie slightly to get her attention, "you can help me out." Exchanging a quick look with her sister, Vida then led the girl away.

"Nick?" Madison said tentatively.

"I'm acting like an idiot," Nick said suddenly while turning to face her, "it's just…she's being so secretive and I can't trust her until I know what her motives are."

"Well we know one of them is to save the future," Madison pointed out. He gave her a look that said 'that's not enough'. "What does your heart tell you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've always had good instincts," she told them, "what are they telling you? Do you think she's evil?"

Nick paused, searching Madison's eyes as if they held the answer. "No, I don't."

Maddie smiled at him, "me either. So maybe we should just give her the benefit of the doubt. She hasn't done anything that suggests she's not on our side."

Nick didn't say anything. Patting his shoulder she smiled at him again. "I'm not saying you have to trust her right away, that wouldn't be very smart. Just try and keep your suspicions under control."

Nick couldn't help but smile slightly at that.

"Madison! Nick! Could you give us a hand!?" Xander called. "Now!" Both Maddie and Nick whirled around to see Xander and Chip struggling to keep a hut from collapsing on top of them.

Laughing slightly at their expressions they rushed over to help.

Hidden high in the branches of a tree the lone figure of a creature that could only be described as feline-like watched them with cold, grey eyes. Crouching down beside the tree trunk it stared unblinkingly at the rangers.

"Found you," it said in a sing-song voice and a rough, pink tongue darted out and ran across its lips, "and boy was it easy."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **Wow...over a year...my appologies!

* * *

Madison was on her way back to the Rock Porium, several bags of party supplies in hand, when she heard Nick's motorcycle driving up from behind her. The engine quieted to a low hum as he pulled up to drive at a walking pace beside her.

"Need a lift?" He asked jokingly, his voice muffled beneath his helmet.

Madison looked up at the Rock Porium sign just over ten feet from them and gave Nick a look. He laughed and turned off the vehicle behind Vida's jeep. Removing his helmet he set it down on the seat behind him and looked up at Madison who came to stop beside him.

"Where's the cake?" She asked curiously.

"Right here," he grabbed the two white plastic bags that he'd tied together and draped over his bike as he dismounted. "I thought it would be more sentimental if we made one since Toby liked the last one so much."

"Good idea," Madison agreed as she moved toward the store; the door was propped open with a large rock.

"Wanna help?" He asked.

"You have no idea what you're doing, do you?" She inquired, amusement sparkling in her eyes and the grin she shot in his direction.

Nick smiled sheepishly. "Not a clue. Baking isn't exactly my thing."

"Hey guys!" Chip greeted from atop a ladder after pinning a streamer to the ceiling with a piece of tape as they came in. He frowned in confusion at the bags in Nick's hands. "Where's the cake?"

"This is the cake," Nick held up the bag before reaching into it and extracting a box of cake mix.

"I thought we decided on a pre-made cake?" Xander's voice was high-pitched and chipmunk-like. Everyone turned their heads to gape at him. "What?"

"That helium isn't _free _Xander," Vida chided while reaching over to snag the balloon in his grasp but he held it at arms length away from her to keep her from doing so.

"It's just one balloon V," He told her in a dismissive manner. Pinching the end of the balloon in his fingers he brought it to his lips to breathe in another mouthful. "I'm just having a little fun."

Vida turned her head away to hide her smile, but once Chip started laughing no one else was able to resist.

Ten minutes later a cake was in the oven, dozens of balloons were floating over Vida and Xander, hiding them in a curtain of ribbons, and Chip was finishing his task of taping up all of the streamers.

"Are there any balloon weights in the party bags Vida?" asked Madison.

"Yeah, they're over there on the chair behind the DJ table."

"I was thinking we could tie a few balloons to them and put them outside by the door."

"Good idea Sis," V agreed, "can you get them Xander? You're closest."

Leaning backwards in his chair so only the back legs were still on the ground Xander snagged two weights off the chair. "Heads up Maddie," letting his chair go back on all four he tossed the items to her one at a time.

"Thanks," she said after she deftly caught them. She set them on the counter Nick was leaning against and then grabbed a handful of balloon ribbons, not bothering to count how many she had.

"Here, let me help," Nick offered and took half of them to tie to the colorful weight in a double knot.

She smiled thankfully at him before taking both weights and carrying them to the door. She started to lower them to the ground at the bottom of the steps by the ribbons and dropped them in surprise when a cat suddenly made its presence known with a loud meow. Smiling to herself she sat down on a step and held her hand out for the feline to smell.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty," she cooed, sitting perfectly still and watching the black animal cautiously make its way toward her outstretched hand. A few soothing words later and it was happily rubbing its head against her hand.

"Hey look a cat!" Chip said, leaning out of the store with his hands holding onto either side of the door frame.

Hissing as if offended by Chip's arrival, the cat's paw darted out and its unsheathed claws scored across Madison's arm. Jerking back she watched the animal dash up the steps and out of sight.

"Are you okay?" Chip demanded, taking her hand to examine the scratch marks that were starting to bleed. "That looks like it stings," he led her back inside, "we'd better wash it."

"It's not that bad, really," she insisted.

"What's not?" Nick asked looking up from the magazine he'd been flipping through as they came inside.

"It's nothing," Madison tried to wave it off.

Chip looked at her and then at their friends. "She got attacked by a cat."

"Not attacked," Madison interrupted before the wave of questions, "It was startled and it's not as bad as it looks."

Chip paused at the office door, his hand resting on the doorknob. "I'll get some Neosporin for you."

"Here Sis," Vida came up and handed her a damp wash cloth. Madison accepted it and proceeded to dab at the scratches to remove the already drying blood. Moments later Chip came out with the tube of Neosporin.

Everyone's attention was diverted when their morphers went off. Xander was the quickest to react and his shoulders slumped when he realized what the call was about. "There's trouble at the park."

"As if today wasn't already busy enough," Vida remarked grumpily. Once the others had rushed past she slid the rock that was holding the door open away with her foot and ran up the steps to catch up with her friends.

They arrived at the park to find a group of Hidiacs terrorizing the civilians who had been unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. A few Styxoids were scattered about commanding the Hidiacs like military generals.

"Does anyone else find this unusual and totally random?" Chip wondered out loud, a rhetorical question.

"Ready!?" Nick called, snapping his morpher open. The others followed his example and replied in unison.

"Ready! Magical Source, Mystic Force!"

Transformations complete the five rangers split up in different directions taking care of their own batch of Hidiacs and finally giving the civilians a chance to run away.

Unbeknownst to them all a cat-like creature watched their struggle from a nearby tree. Balancing on a thick branch his tail lashed back and forth behind him, his grey eyes darted back and forth amongst them before settling on the blue ranger. He let out a happy "Nya!" and then leapt down to land on all fours.

In a flash he was standing right behind her and before Madison could react to his presence he dropped to the ground and knocked her feet out from under her with a graceful kick.

She immediately rolled to her feet and turned to launch a counter attack against her assailant, but with all her attention trained on the feline she was unprepared for the Styxoid who caught her from behind. Looping its arms under hers, it locked its fingers together behind her neck successfully trapping her arms straight out on either side of her and immobilizing her completely.

Everything went quiet then as her friends became stunned to the point of paralysis. They forgot their surroundings and the fact that they were in the middle of a fight. The Hidiacs let them stare in shock.

The cat creature began to purr; the sound rough, almost a growl. His pleasure with her current position did not escape the blue ranger's attention and she found that very irritating.

She watched cautiously as he approached and silently cursed herself for letting this happen. Her mind was racing as she tried to think of something to get out of the predicament, but she couldn't reach her magi-staff and without it she couldn't use her magic. With her arms trapped she couldn't physically fight her way out either.

He stopped directly in front of her and his head tilted to the side as if he were trying to figure her out. Nobody was prepared for what happened next.

Before she could even blink the creature's hands darted out with inhumane speed and yanked her helmet from her head to reveal horrified, widened, brown eyes. Her dark hair cascaded down over her shoulders

"Sis!" The stunned silence shattered at that moment. Vida leapt forward to her sister's defense followed by Xander, Chip, and Nick, but the Hidiacs also took action and moved to block, engaging the four rangers in battle and preventing them from getting to their captured comrade.

Madison began to struggle forcing the Styxoid to tighten its hold on her to thwart her escape. She froze when the cat creature rested its head on her shoulder and began to nuzzle her neck. She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth to refrain from shivering when she heard him breathe in.

"Maddie!" That was Xander.

His nose lifted from her throat and he backed away to stare into her eyes.

"And thus the fish was caught by the cat." With a flick of his tail the cat ordered the Styxoid to release her, and she watched as a dark seal dragged them all down.

Weak with relief Madison sunk to her knees on the grass. She heard pounding footsteps and looked up to find four rangers running toward her. Vida slid to her knees before her and threw her arms around her in a relieved hug.

"I was so worried!" She gasped, pulling back to assess the girl for injuries.

"Are you okay?" Xander asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently.

"I think so," Madison replied shakily, but she smiled to assure them all, especially her sister, that she was okay. When she felt a gentle breeze tease her hair and tickle her ear she remembered her helmet and began to look around desperately for it.

"He didn't hurt you did he?" Nick demanded, placing the object of her desire into her hands.

She accepted it gratefully and shook her head no. "I'm okay. I'm just really, _really_ confused," she assured.

"That makes five of us," Chip said with light humor, humor that suddenly vanished. "I just realized something…"

"What's that?" asked Xander.

"Isn't the cake still in the oven?"

"Oh crap!" Nick leapt to his feet and took off down the road, a sight the others would have found hilarious—the red ranger running frantically down the sidewalk—if they weren't hot on his heels.

***

"He_ nuzzled _her?" Daggeron said disbelievingly once he'd been filled in early the next morning. "Why?"

"That's what we'd like to know," Xander replied, leaning back in his chair his feet propped up on the table.

"He didn't stick around long enough for us to ask," Chip added.

"But Madison is okay," Daggeron said firmly, a concerned question blended in with his tone.

"As far as we know," Nick frowned. His arms were crossed over his chest and he stared at the floor as if it held the answer to his silent questions. "But I don't trust it."

"Nor should you," Udonna agreed from her place behind the Xenotome. She'd been looking through the book to see if it contained any information about the incident: there was none.

They were all distracted when Vida came bursting into Rootcore. She was slightly out of breath and her face was flushed. "We've got a problem."

"What's wrong V?" Chip queried, giving her a concerned look.

"Before I answer that, I need to warn you."

"Spit it out!" Xander snapped kicking his feet off of the table and letting his chair go back on all fours.

She opened her mouth to snap back at him, but his worried frown stopped her, the insult dying on her lips. "No sudden movements," she ordered before ducking out of the room. Seconds later she appeared again with Madison behind her.

"Okaaaaay, so what's the proble—," Nick cut himself off when Vida stepped aside to reveal Madison's drastic change in appearance to everyone.

"Holy cow!" Chip spluttered, "I mean...holy cat!" Because indeed that is what Madison now resembled. Her eyes were amber in color her ears were long, furred, and pointed. Her nails were longer, sharper, dark stripes covered her cheeks and forehead looking like unusual birthmarks, and no one could miss the tail that lashed playfully behind her.

At Chip's outburst Madison jumped. Her ears twitched and her eyes darted all over the room.

"Oh my goodness," Udonna murmured, limiting her surprised reaction to a whispered comment. Everyone else was speechless.

"I told you no sudden movements!" Vida hissed in a low tone so as not to startle her sister again. "That includes verbal outbursts!"

Chip ducked his head in an almost ashamed matter. "Sorry!" he whispered back.

"Madison?" Daggeron addressed her gently after he was able to recover from the shock. She turned toward him and opened her mouth to answer, but the only sound that left her lips was an innocent and adorable 'mew!'

"When?" Xander looked to the older Rocca sister for answers unable to formulate an actual sentence.

Vida shrugged her shoulders helplessly, "She was like this when we woke up, but the stripes have only recently appeared."

"Mrrr-ooooow!" Madison's attention was captured by the crystal ball in the center of the table. She found the swirling white fog inside quite amusing. She took a few steps forward but suddenly decided that traveling on all fours was preferable and then she leapt up onto the table to occupy herself with the magical item.

"Then the transformation is happening quickly," Daggeron stated, his expression thoughtful and troubled.

"But what's _causing _her transformation?" Xander asked, his eyes following the movements of Madison's tail as it swished back and forth not far from his nose.

"That is what we must figure out," Udonna explained, "Does she have any bite marks or scratches? Perhaps your opponent from yesterday did more than any of us realized."

"She does have those claw marks," Nick spoke for the first time since the girls' arrival, "from that cat yesterday, but that was before the fight."

At the sound of Nick's voice Maddie was distracted from the crystal ball and she glanced around until she found him. "Mrroow!" Jumping down from the table she traveled on all fours toward him. Planting herself on the ground at his feet she began to rub her cheek against his knee, Nick didn't know what to do.

"It could be related," Daggeron murmured, diverting everyone's attention away from Madison and onto him and earning a grateful look from an embarrassed Nick. "We need to look into it if we are to figure out how to change Madison back to normal."

"It'll have to be fast," Chip piped up, "Toby's Welcome Back Party at the store starts in ten minutes."

"I totally forgot!" Vida groaned, "What'll we do? Maddie can't go in her condition."

"One of you will have to stay behind," said Daggeron, "we will need all the facts in order to come up with a solution."

"I'll stay," Chip volunteered. "Since I was there when Maddie was scratched I can give the best description."

"Right," Xander agreed. He patted the red-head's back in a consoling matter. "You're a good mate."

"We'll be back as soon as possible," Nick told him, trying to step away from the cat-girl and not upset her. "If we explain everything to Toby he'll understand."

"Yeah, let's go guys." Vida turned to look at her sister who was trying to follow them out of Root Core. "Stay." Madison's ears drooped but she did as she was told.

"It was planned," Leanbow stated thirty minutes later after the whole story had been repeated, explained, and processed between the four of them. Madison had returned to her previous position on the table, but she was now curled around the crystal instead of staring unblinkingly into it.

"Okay" Chip nodded in understanding, "…how do we fix it?"

"My best guess would be a spell," Leanbow answered, "but we have to be careful that it's the right one. Any mistakes and we could unintentionally speed up the transformation process."

"Although," Udonna began, "if we use _Venicio _with our combined magic it may be strong enough to break the spell she's under."

"I agree," Daggeron spoke up, "it's the safest option we have and we can be confident that it won't hasten the transformation."

"Perhaps we should attempt this after the feline is defeated," Leanbow said, looking at the sleeping Madison with a regretful look. He sympathized with the girl's situation. "If he is defeated it is possible the spell on her will be broken on its own."

"We'll have to find him first," Daggeron stated, "Genji and I will search."

"I will go with you," Leanbow offered. He pressed his lips to Udonna's cheek in a wordless farewell and followed Daggeron out of Root Core.

"This would be so much easier if there was something, like the Dawn Crystal to fix it all," Chip huffed, frustrated, and unusually serious.

Udonna smiled slightly. "There may be, but the answer won't fall into our laps Chip, we must search for it."

"Right," Chip glanced at his friend, "and we should hurry. I think she has whiskers now."

***

"Where's Maddie?" Vida asked the yellow ranger when she returned forty-five later.

"Outside," The redhead replied glancing up from the book he'd been skimming through. "But don't worry, Clare's with her," he added quickly after seeing the deadly expression on Vida's face.

"Did her condition change at all?" Xander asked, taking his seat.

"She has whiskers, and the stripes are darker," Chip described. "At least she didn't get changed into something icky, like a rat."

Vida rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly none-the-less. "Yeah, at least she's not a rat."

"What about how to change her back? Has any progress been made?" Nick inquired.

"We have a few theories," Udonna told him, "The first is that if the cat is defeated whatever spell he holds over Madison will be broken, like when she was turned to stone and when Vida was a vampire. The second is if you pool your magic together there will be enough magic to reverse it."

"I'll go look for him then," Nick moved to leave but his mother's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Leanbow and Daggeron are looking as we speak," Udonna told him gently. He stared at the hand on his shoulder and then his eyes traveled up her arm until he was looking into her eyes. Only she noticed the desperateness of his expression. She smiled warmly to brighten his spirits. "We'll save her Nick," she promised quietly.

"Well there's nothing in this book either," Chip declared, shutting the cover and sliding it aside, "Probably because our enemy is from the future."

"Makes sense," Xander nodded, once more leaning back in his chair. Stretching his arms back he supported his head on intertwined fingers. "So that means the only thing we can do is wait for the guy to show up or for Leanbow and Daggeron to contact us."

"I'd bet the gold ranger knows all about that monster," Nick growled bitterly, "but is she here?" He added sarcastically.

The crystal ball pulsed with dark energy attracting everyone's attention. Those who weren't already sitting at the table crowded around its edges to peer into the crystal. The black fog within cleared to reveal the dark feline.

"That wasn't a long wait," Xander remarked.

"Good," Vida replied, her dark eyes narrowing in a self-promise to defeat the creature who had dared threaten her sister.

"You four go on ahead I'll contact Leanbow and Daggeron," Udonna instructed. "Be on your guard Rangers, something about this feels off."

"We'll be careful," Nick promised over his shoulder as he followed the others toward the wall where their brooms were kept.

They found their opponent out in the middle of nowhere, a cliff to his back and open rocky space everywhere else. The rangers leapt down from their racers and landed in crouches before him the stances stiff and prepared for anything.

"I've been waiting for you! Nya!" The cat called to them. He brought his hand up to his lips, ran his tongue over the back of his wrist and drew it across the cat ear perched on top of his head.

"And we've been looking for you!" Nick shouted back angrily.

"Turn our friend back to normal or else!" Chip threatened, pointing accusingly in the feline's direction.

"You don't really expect that to work, do you Chip?" Xander asked, glancing at the Yellow Ranger.

He shrugged. "Not really, but I thought I'd give it a shot."

"Enough talk," Vida growled, pushing past the guys to stand menacingly in front of them. "More action," she added and without warning she darted forward to launch an attack against the cat.

His ears twitched in anticipation. It looked like her punch would land, but in the blink of an eye he had her wrist in a death-grip and her arm twisted painfully behind her back. Holding her at arms length he gestured tauntingly with his free hand for the others to attack him as well.

Angered, and slightly insulted, the other three jumped forward. Nick and Chip double-teamed him while Xander focused on getting Vida away. Whether they succeeded or if the cat let their plan work was still up for debate, but either way the Pink Ranger was free and joining the others in their efforts.

Although he was surrounded by all four rangers the feline looked rather placate. He even had the nerve to let a bird flying overhead divert his attention away from the fight.

"Stop doing that!" Vida groused in frustration, "pay attention and fight for real!"

The cat regarded her with a lazy glance, his ears twitching again. "Okay," he agreed and darted forward to deliver a kick to her chest. Using the momentum from his kick he launched himself into a back spring to land another kick Nick's chest, using both feet.

He followed the Red Ranger to the ground before jumping off of his chest to land at the top of the cliff he'd been standing in front of. His tail lashed behind him three times, like counting off a beat, before he pounced. Catching Xander's shoulders in his claws he tackled him to the ground and rolled, bringing Xander up with him and throwing the green ranger into the unsuspecting Chip.

Leaping gracefully back into the center of all four he stood proudly and regarded the rangers with amused looks. "That was much too easy, nya!" He let a startled 'mrooow!' when he was tackled from behind.

Nick and the others were still recovering when the Gold Ranger pinned the feline to the ground. Pressing her knees into his spine she jerked her head up to make sure the rangers were prepared, she wouldn't be able to hold him down for very long. When they'd regrouped she jumped away from their enemy and retreated to stand with them.

"She finally arrives," Nick said sarcastically. The gold ranger turned to him and he could feel her glare.

"You can't defeat Sakmis with physical attacks alone," she explained, ignoring Nick's comment, "he's too quick. Slow him down with magic."

"If that's the case, I've got just the thing," Xander said confidently while removing his Magi Staff from his belt. "Magi Staff, Vine Power!" Swinging the staff in Sakmis's direction several vines burst forth from the ground and flew toward the feline.

Sakmis held his ground until the last minute and then leapt away, only to be blown back into the waiting vines with Vida's Tornado Power. The vines worked quickly, weaving tightly around the cat's wrists, ankles, and pretty much every where else to the point where the only part of him that could move were his finger tips, his nose, and his tail.

"No way!" Chip suddenly cried out causing the other Rangers to whirl around, braced for a fight. They all became confused when they found the Yellow Ranger pointing, and probably gawking behind the lightning bird visor, at the Gold Ranger's tail. "He got you too!"

The Gold Ranger slowly glanced back over her shoulder and then looked quickly forward as if afraid of what she found. "Y-yeah," she stuttered, "I guess he did."

"Just another reason to finish him quickly," Nick barked. He whipped his Magi Staff from his belt, spun it, and then transformed it into his sword.

"Right!" Chip agreed. "Magi Staff! Crossbow Mode!" Taking aim with his newly transformed weapon he fired a bolt of lightning that connected easily with Sakmis's chest.

"Magi Staff! Sword Mode!" The Gold Ranger called and then followed Nick's lead as they launched forward in a double attack. Like mirror images of each other they swung their blades in a long slash. Sakmis yowled, the vines loosened, and in a blast of sparks and embers and he went flying to land heavily on his back.

Chip, Vida, and Xander darted forward to flank their leader, prepared to finish him off should the attack not have done the job.

When the smoke cleared Sakmis was pushing himself up onto his feet. Tsking, he shook his finger at the gold-clad girl. "Such a spoil sport Princess, nya! But I'll give you victory today. You may have won the battle, but I assure you the war as just begun!" And with a mock bow the feline vanished when the dark seal appeared below him.

"Did it work?" Vida growled, "it's not like he's trust worthy."

Everybody started when the gold ranger let out a startled 'Eep!'

"What?" Chip demanded, looking around wildly, "what is it?!"

"It worked," she told them, glancing over her shoulder again and spinning as if she was chasing her tail, a tail that was no longer there.

"Does that mean Madison is back to normal now?" Xander asked.

"Only one way to find out," Vida responded and made for her Mystic Speeder. The others followed suit.

Nick caught the Gold Ranger's wrist and pulled her behind him. "You've got some more explaining to do," he told her, "we need more information on this new enemy."

She followed behind him without a word.

* * *

**AN: **Again...sorry for the super long delay. I was hit by inspiration and had to sit down and finish the chapter despite how long my muse decided to stick around. I feel the end is a little rushed...but I didn't want to wait another year to finish it. I promise I haven't nor will I abandon this story. I'm going to work hard to try and update on a more frequent basis. Just remember, this story WILL be finished. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Power Rangers Mystic Force is not mine, it is simply a tool I am using for my own personal entertainment ;)

This is for you Faith Callaway! It took awhile, but I finally finished this chapter. Thanks for the encouragement!

* * *

The others had already dismounted their Racers, demorphed, and were swallowed by the jaws of the dragon gate of Root Core by the time Nick landed. He felt the gold ranger immediately release his waist and slide off.

"You're not going to pull that vanishing act on me are you?" He asked. His uniform vanished in a flourish of red light.

"Listen," she turned to him with her hands clasped behind her back in a similar-to-Maddie fashion. "I can't tell you anymore than I already have, and when it comes to the enemy, I know about as much as you do. Even in the future you guys don't really know more than what you can assume about any villain."

"And what's that?" Nick asked with an eyebrow raised.

"That their goal is eternal darkness, world domination, or something along those lines," she said, waving a dismissive hand. "And that there's always some boss man bossing his little generals around somewhere."

"You seemed to know about Sakmis, about how to immobilize him at least." He pointed out.

The girl sighed in frustration and balled her hands up into fists. "Only because we've fought battles against him in the future. The only 'general' I have fought or know anything about I assure you. Granted I wasn't the nicest of people when we met, but I still just wish you'd trust me."

"Okay. I'll trust you."

"Or at least start treating me like we're on the same side because I...you will? Why?"

"Because you came to save Madison, and you came to help us, and because you are a Mystic Ranger and that's enough. It should have been enough before. To be fair, I wasn't very trusting of Udonna and she turned out to be my mom."

"Yeah, I know."

Nick could hear the humor in her voice. After a moment of neither of them knowing what to say he spoke. "Will you come in?"

It was the first small step to building trust.

She turned to look at the door and for a moment it was dragon looking at dragon. In the back of his mind Nick wondered what she looked like behind her visor. "Maybe next time," she said finally, bringing him back to reality. "I have some place to be."

"Which means that you're avoiding us to keep your secrets safe," he clarified with a teasing tone.

"Pretty much, yes. It's harder than it sounds." Then she turned to go.

"Wait," Nick caught her elbow. "What's your name? Any name..." he amended. "I think it would be more convenient if we had something to call you other than 'the girl from the future' or 'the gold ranger'."

She didn't say anything for awhile, a silence Nick figured was filled with calculative thoughts on her part. "Rose is good. It's my favorite flower and we _are_ in Briarwood," she said finally.

"All right then. I'm assuming we'll be seeing you around then," he said releasing her arm.

"Yeah, now go check on Maddie. I'm assuming you're more worried about her than you'll ever let on."

Nick automatically glanced over his shoulder to look up at Root Core. When he turned back around she was gone. The vanishing act. Lovely.

"How about I call you Houdini instead!" He called out into the trees. Shaking his head at himself with a small smile he ducked inside.

He found Madison sitting at the table coughing into a handkerchief, Vida thumping her on the back, and both Chip and Xander leaning away with wrinkled noses.

"What's wrong?" Nick demanded right away, worry laced through his voice.

"Side effects," Xander replied pityingly. "Udonna says she'll be right as rain soon." He recoiled when Maddie suddenly hacked and then her coughing fit ended, for which Nick was silently grateful for.

"Ugh," the blue ranger groaned, balling up the fabric. "Hairball."

Xander, Chip, and Nick grimaced and Vida glared at each of them. "Looks like it's over Sis, you feeling okay?"

"Better now." She looked up at the others. "Sorry guys." She glanced away in embarrassment when her eyes met Nick's.

"Where is everyone?" The red ranger asked, changing the subject for Maddie's benefit .

"Woodland Village. They were attacked while we were busy with the giant furball." Xander replied. "Daggeron and Leanbow took care of it while we were busy."

"What? Why was the village attacked? That doesn't make any sense," asked Nick.

"Why do the bad guys do anything mate?" Xander countered.

"Personal gain. World domination. To make life difficult for the good guys." Chip supplied, his hands gesturing as he spoke.

"Was anyone hurt?" Madison asked. "Do they need our help?"

"Probably with rebuilding and restocking supplies." Vida guessed, a hand still on her sister's shoulder. "Are you sure you're all right now?"

"I'm fine, really," the younger girl insisted. "I'd feel even better helping someone else. It'd be nice to forget I was a cat for a little while."

"Yeah," Chip agreed with a serious nod. "I'd want to forget that too."

"All right," Xander started as he stood. "Let's get out there and help out."

Vida scoffed in the Australian's direction. "More like _we're _going to help out and _you're_ going to supervise."

Xander grinned back at her. "That hadn't even crossed my mind, but now that you mention it..."

"Xander?"

"Yeah V?"

"Run."

"Why -ack!" Xander nearly tripped over his chair in his haste to get away from the lunging girl.

"Run Xander!" Chip encouraged, watching as the green ranger made a beeline for the exit, pink ranger hot on his heels. "I'm gonna go watc-I mean make sure V doesn't kill him." And then the redhead was out the door.

Madison blinked after her friends, not quite sure how to react to their abrupt departure from the room. "Well..."

"That was..."

Madison glanced at Nick and felt a sudden rush of nervousness when she found him looking at her. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear she glanced nervously toward the exit. "Maybe we should go check and make sure they didn't hurt each other."

"Maybe," replied Nick, still looking at her, and not really hearing what she was saying.

Feeling awkward and suddenly shy Madison nodded and slowly made her way toward the door. "Yeah...never know what kind of trouble Xander will cause with Vida around. Who knows, maybe they'll cause more harm than good in the village."

"Huh? Oh! Right. Lead the way." He gestured for her to go on ahead and followed her out.

At the village, the damages were minor but multiple. Teamwork and a couple of hours would bring it back to full splendor, but it was time that would have been better spend with other things.

"What a nuisance," a wood elf grumbled. A modern toolbox in one hand and a hammer in the other he dipped his head in greeting as he passed the blue and red rangers.

Madison spotted Vida and Xander holding a wooden beam up together as a troll nailed it into place from the roof. Both were still bickering at one another. It didn't take her long after to locate Chip. He was currently working alongside their troblin friend Phineas in restacking a group of crates full of who-knew-what. Lele watched close by.

"Hey, there's Lele," Maddie said.

At the sound of her name the perky blonde whirled around. "Madison, hey! We missed you at the party. Glad to see your feline issue has been taken care of."

"Yeah...me too."

"Hiya Madison!" Phineas greeted waving with both hands.

"Heavy crate!" Chip grunted, slowly sinking down under the full weight of the crate they'd been transferring. "Heavy crate! Help! Help!"

"Oh! Sorry!" The troblin's hands darted out and steadied the box between them. "I forgot."

Lele giggled, bouncing over and resting her head on his shoulder. "So cute!"

"Aw," Phinease ducked his head in embarrassment. "Gee..."

"Have you guys seen Daggeron or my parents around?" Nick cut in before the sweetness became too sweet to handle.

"Last time I saw them, they were over there," Lele gesture with her arm before returning her full attention to her troblin boyfriend.

"Thank you!" Madison called to them as Nick steered her in the direction Lele had pointed out.

They found Daggeron and Genji first, or rather, Genji found them.

"Hey Nick! Maddie!" The genie swept them both up into a hug and squeezed them until they couldn't breathe.

"Genji," Daggeron said, amused, "you're suffocating them."

"Ah!" Letting them down Genji took an apologetic step back. "Oops."

"It's okay Genji," Madison smiled.

"I see your situation has been sorted out," Genji said, examining the blue ranger from head to toe. "For what it's worth I think you would have been a pretty cat."

Nick and Daggeron choked back a laugh and Maddie was a little uncertain on how to react. "Thank you?"

"Any idea why the village was attacked?" Nick asked of Daggeron.

The teacher's brow furrowed in thought. "I've thought of a few things, but nothing adds up quite right. They just attacked. It didn't look like they were looking for anything or anyone. More like it was a distraction."

Maddie frowned. "A distraction for what exactly?"

"That's the question isn't it?"

* * *

Sakmis sauntered into the throne room with his head held high.

"M'lord," the feline dropped gracefully into a deep bow and straightened.

"Sakmis," a low, almost raspy voice acknowledged.

"Was progress made?" Inquired the cat.

"Valasko!" The lord thundered, summoning another of his generals.

In a flash of black feathers the vassal appeared and swept down into his own bow. Like his general comrade, Valasko was a form of black, although his features were undoubtedly birdlike. A crow to be more specific, with inky feathers adorning his shoulders from which a shadowed cape cascaded down his back and a helmet with an open raven's beak framing his sharp facial features.

"You called My Lord?"

"Sakmis wishes to know of our progress."

"The first location has been found," Valasko replied, still facing his lord. "However, there are some road blocks."

"What kind of road blocks?" Sakmis hissed.

"A barrier," Valasko shot him a look out of the corner of his eye before returning his attention forward again. "It will take some time, but it will be broken."

"Hn," in the shadows they could see the darker form of their master shift in his seat, "in the meantime Sakmis, it is still your task to keep the Mystic Force preoccupied and the little princess distracted while Valasko takes care of the barrier. Understood?"

"Yes M'Lord," Sakmis dipped his head respectfully. A feline smirk graced his lips and his tail lashed behind him. "I've always been good at playing games," he purred.

* * *

Melanie was helping Claire sort through herbs the next morning just outside of Root Core.

"Daggeron has a training session planned," Claire said as she brought a leaf up for closer inspection before setting it in its correct pile.

Melanie paused in her work to glance at the blonde sorceress. "Oh?"

"You're welcome to stay and watch if you like," offered Claire, "it'll give you the chance to see some magic in action."

"The Rangers, they won't mind?"

"They've never minded when I watched."

"But they're familiar with you," Melanie pointed out.

"Who is familiar with Claire?" Xander asked from behind them. "Hello ladies."

"I was inviting Melanie to watch your training session, to see magic firsthand," Claire explained. "Do you mind?"

"I would never turn down such a lovely audience," Xander grinned flirtatiously.

At that moment Vida came up and elbowed him to the side. "What Xander means to say is we don't mind, right guys?" She asked the other three.

"Nope. Don't mind at all," Chip seconded.

"It's okay with me," Maddie nodded.

"I suppose it's fine," Nick said, a little slower than the others. "You came to learn after all. Maybe you'll pick up something new." With a small smile Nick led the rangers across the clearing to wait for Daggeron.

Xander placed his hand fondly on Melanie's head as he passed, then frowned thoughtfully to himself. He wasn't one who often experienced random impulses.

Melanie's hand immediately flew up to settle where Xander's had been seconds ago. At a fleeting glance it looked as if she were smoothing her hair but if anyone had been looking closer they would have caught the glimpse of longing that lingered in her eyes.

Minutes later Claire offered her a basket filled with empty jars and vials. "For the herbs," she explained after Melanie's wondering stare.

"Ohhhhh, right," she grinned sheepishly and reached for a glass. While her hands worked her eyes wandered. Daggeron had made his appearance not long ago and now the Rangers were lined up before him, hands behind their backs, feet a shoulder width apart, their eyes the only parts of them moving as they followed Daggeron's movements while he walked back and forth in front of them.

"Yesterday was eventful," Daggeron declared, "and we were busy, but evil does not rest and neither shall we. For today at least," he added with a small smile. If he'd learned anything from the Rangers it was that breaks and fun were just as important as training.

"Today we are going to work on our speed and stamina in the form of an obstacle course. Your goal is to retrieve your assigned flags at the end of the course and bring them back to the starting line."

"Sounds simple enough," Xander said under his breath.

"However," Daggeron stopped his trek back and forth.

"Uh oh," sighed the green ranger.

"Here we go," Chip rhymed.

Daggeron's smile shifted into a playful smirk. "We are also fine tuning our reaction time. There are some surprises along the way that you should all be on your guard for."

The five of them nodded their understanding.

"The last one to cross the finish line will have to complete the course all over again," their teacher told them, "you have fifteen minutes starting now."

They barely had time to be surprised at the ultimatum for losing before they had to take off in a flourish of capes and bumping shoulders.

"What would happen if they finished together?" Melanie asked whilst corking a bottle and tucking it away in the basket. "Then who would have to repeat the course?"

Daggeron turned to her with a pleasantly surprised expression. "I am surprised Miss Melanie."

"Why? What did I say?"

The knight shook his head with a smile. "Let's see if they reach the same conclusion."

In the woods the Rangers ran.

"I bet I'll finish before you V," Xander challenged, smirking.

Vida glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes. "You're on," she smirked. And then the two of them were off, breezing past the other three who'd chosen to travel at a steadier pace.

"Ah! Xander! Vida!" Chip called after them. "You're going to tire yourselves out!"

"Let them," Nick said with a grin. "We'll just overtake them later and then they'll have to redo the course."

Chip was quiet for a moment and then the metaphorical light bulb lit up. "Ohhhhhh."

"I wonder what kind of obstacles Daggeron has arranged," Maddie said as she ran. No sooner were the words out of her mouth than they heard Vida's startled yell from somewhere up ahead.

"Guess we're about to find out," Nick replied.

"Xander!" Vida growled up at the green ranger from her current place in a dug out pit. The sides were slick and steep and the edge of the hole was too high for her to reach even by jumping. It wouldn't have been so bad except the hole had also been filled with a thick, gluey, green goo which was soaking uncomfortably into the fabric of her clothes. "Help me out!"

Xander laughed at her predicament, once he was sure she hadn't injured herself of course. "Look at you!" He chortled. "You're...you're..."

"I'm covered in goo," she finished dryly before reaching up. "Now help."

"Yeeeaaah," the Australian leaned forward, his hands braced on his knees. "I don't think so. "

"Xander!"

"What happened?" Maddie asked, looking at Xander as she approached.

The green ranger turned to her with a grin. "Vida fell into the first obstacle."

Maddie looked down at her sister and blinked. Then she choked back a giggle and tried to muffle the sound behind her hand, but the damage had been done.

"I get it, I'm funny looking. Now stop laughing and start helping," Vida grumbled, stretching her hand up for Maddie to take.

Madison moved to help her sibling but was stopped by a hand on her wrist. "The last one to cross the finish line has to repeat the course, remember?" Xander asked her, grinning mischievously.

"She's my sister, I'm not just going to leave her in..._that_." She gave the gloop a look.

"Chip, Nick, a little help here?" Xander straightened to look back at them. The two boys exchanged a look before identical smirks stretched across their lips. Then, moving as one, they closed the gap between themselves and the blue ranger and linked their arms with hers. With Chip on the left and Nick on the right they lifted her up off the ground and walked away from the pit.

"Hey!" She gasped. "Guys put me down!"

"Maddie!" Vida called as she watched her only hope of assistance get carried away. She turned an evil glare to the only ranger still looking down at her. "Xander you are such a pain!"

The Australian saluted and turned to leave as well.

"Xander! You get _back_! _Here_!" She yelled. Answering her frustration a sudden wind picked up, blew the ranger right off his feet, and deposited him in the pit of green goo next to her.

Xander shot up with a disgusted cry. The gunk plastered his short hair to his forehead and dripped off of his arms, fingers, clothing, and pretty much everything.

"What'd you do that for!" He demanded. "If you could have done that you could have gotten yourself out!"

"I hadn't thought of think if you'd just helped me out you wouldn't be in this situation." She crossed her arms and leaned back against the slick side of the pit. "Seems like whenever you're involved I get covered in something green."

"It's my signature color," he shrugged, "and I'm still angry with you!"

"Oh yeah? Well I'm not exactly thrilled to be in your company either," she retorted.

Madison had given up on getting away from Chip and Nick long ago, and yet they still continued to drag her between them. "How long do you guys plan on dragging me exactly?"

Nick and Chip stopped and exchanged a look.

"Why are we still?" Chip asked out loud.

"You know..." Nick started, "I don't know." Glancing down at the girl he met her curious and somewhat irritated look and immediately looked away, clearing his throat. Together he and Chip released her .

Straightening her vest Madison glanced back over her shoulder. "Don't you think Xander should have caught up to us by now?"

The guys turned to look the same direction.

"You're right," agreed Nick.

"Vida probably tricked him or something and now they're both stuck in the gloop." Chip said, nodding seriously.

"I feel bad," confessed Madison, "leaving her like that."

"You didn't leave her," Nick countered, "you were...kidnapped?" He said, not knowing if that was the right word. "But I'm starting to feel guilty too. How much time has passed?"

"Somewhere around nine minutes and forty-seven seconds," Chip replied, his fingers now laced together behind his head.

The red and blue ranger gave him bewildered looks at his precise answer.

With nine minutes and forty-seven seconds, now probably fifty-three, that left about six minutes to get to the flags and bring them back to Root Core, but who knew how far the flags actually were. For all they knew they'd all be repeating the course anyway.

Sighing Nick turned to his teammates. "Let's go get them. I get the feeling we're repeating teh course anyway."

A bright smile lit up Madison's face making Nick wish the guilt had assaulted him sooner.

"Look," Xander began awkwardly after some time, "I'm sorry I didn't help you out."

"Translation?" Vida asked rhetorically, her voice laced with sarcasm. "I'm sorry I didn't help you out because if I had then I wouldn't be stuck in here too."

"Well...!" He started lamely, but she was right. That had been his first thought. "Okay, I admit it. That's what I was thinking at first, but isn't the important thing that I _do_ feel sorry for not helping you?"

"Yeah, whatever," she replied, tossing her pink highlighted hair out of her eyes with a flick of her head.

"Would you be more willing to accept my apology if I helped you out _now_?" He offered, the beginnings of his trademark 'charming smile' tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Her eyes slid in his direction for a moment. When we wiggled his eyebrows a little a hint of her own smile appeared. "Fiiiine. What'd you have in mind?"

"Give me a boost?"

Her fists tightened. That was it, she was going to kill him.

Immediately Xander's hands flew up in a gesture of surrender. "Kidding! Here," he laced his fingers together in front of him. "I'll boost you up. Use my shoulders for leverage." When she hesitated he said, "what can I do? Drop you? You're already covered in nasty. Nothing I do can be any worse."

"Good point," she acknowledged and closed the distance between them. Placing her hands on his shoulders as he suggested and her foot in his linked hands she pushed herself up and Xander boosted her up the rest of the way. With his assistance her shoulders reached the top of the hole and she pulled herself up and out.

Turning, she knelt at the edge and peered down. "Now what genius? I'm not exactly strong enough to pull you up on my own. Especially since we're both covered in slime."

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," a voice came from over her shoulder. Turning, Vida came face to face with a grinning Sakmis.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry once more for the long delay. Unfortunately they haven't been, nor will they be short in coming for this story. Life keeps getting in the way. Although you might be happy to hear I already know what's going to happen in the next chapter and have actually started it. No promises of when it will be posted though. Thank you so much for your patience!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I do not own Power Rangers Mystic Force, or any of the Power Ranger teams for that matter, therefore I borrow for entertainment purposes.

_For SilverMoonSparkles and artychick7 for the lovely reviews and gentle nudges to get this story going again_

Once more, sorry for the super long delay. Unfortunately there have been many for this story, but I've a personal rule where I finish all my stories. And I'll finish this one...eventually. So thanks for sticking with it for so long. I really do appreciate it. Also, because I have lost a lot of the inspiration I once had for this story, I fear that the characters may seem a little off, so let me know if they are and I'll do what I can to prevent it in the future. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations and is worth the wait. Even if it's only a little.

On with the reading!

* * *

Immediately Vida's arm swung out, her elbow slamming into Sakmis's chest. Apparently, she'd caught him off guard as he had her. Using the opportunity, she rolled away and pulled out her morpher, dialing the code.

"Magical Source! Mystic Force!"

Taking a second to catch his breath, Sakmis stood to face the newly transformed Ranger. "That wasn't very nice. Nya!"

"Neither is sneaking up on people!" She shot back before she rushed at him.

Down in the pit Xander looked up in worry, only able to hear what was going on and not liking the sound of it. There was a lot of hissing taunts from the cat and a lot of bumps and crashes which he could only hope wasn't Vida being tossed around.

When he heard her cry out he'd reached his limit. Pit or no pit, he was helping his friend.

"Magical Source! Mystic Force! Vine Power!" Seconds later thick, heavy green vines were growing up the sides of the hole. Climbing quickly, he was out just in time to see Sakmis pinning Vida to a tree.

"Big mistake." Changing his MagiStaff into his signature axe as he ran, he leapt up with the axe poised over his head, ready to bring it down on his opponent.

Forced to move or be decapitated Sakmis leaped away and landed on all fours some distance away, his tail fluffed up and hissing angrily in Xander's direction.

The green granger quickly pried his weapon out of the ground. "You okay V?"

"I'll live," she replied hotly, "and I'll be great as soon as we bust up that feline."

"Same here," he replied and then they attacked him together.

* * *

Madison's steps faltered as the sound of a battle drifted back through the trees and reached her ears. "You guys?"

"I hear it," Nick acknowledged, a focused frown dancing across his face. "Sounds like trouble."

"Maybe Xander and V _really _lost their tempers with each other?" Chip suggested hopefully. The hope evaporated at the grim expressions his friends regarded him with. "Yeah...I thought you'd think that."

Nick whipped out his morpher and smiled wryly at the confused and concerned look Madison shot in his direction. "With psycho opponents like Sakmis running around, I'm not taking any chances."

Nodding, she and Chip followed suit.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

_"Magicl Source! Mystic Force!_" In a flourish of blue, red, and yellow lights the three of them were off, racing through the trees at a pace only worry for a friend could inspire.

When they arrived on the scene, they found Xander on his back, his wrists pinned under Sakmis's feet and Vida amongst the roots of a distant tree, pushing herself up onto her hands and knees, gasping for breath.

The fastest of the three, Chip lunged forward with a battle yell. He wrapped his arms around the feline's torso as he tackled him from behind and the two of them went tumbling to the ground.

Nick was right behind him, but slid to a stop above his friend.

"You okay?" He demanded, holding out hand and hoisting the green ranger to his feet.

"Better now. Thanks mate." Xander bent to scoop up his discarded axe.

Madison breezed past them all, leaving the guys to handle Sakmis momentarily as she moved in to help her sister. "Are you okay, Sis? Are you hurt?" She asked, dropping to her knees beside her sibling.

Vida shook her head as she took a deep, steadying breath. "Not hurt. Just had the wind knocked out of me is all."

"Not all of it I hope?" Maddie joked lightly, pulling her sister up with her as she stood. "I get the feeling you'll need it." She sensed rather than saw the smirk that Vida shot her way.

"No, definitely not all of it," Vida replied. "I've got enough to deal with the furball."

Sakmis leapt away from the yellow ranger with an angry yowl. Landing in a crouch he slowly rose to his feet, his tail lashing angrily behind him. "Five against one is _hardly _fair," he taunted, tugging on an ear.

"Well we are a _tea_m," Nick pointed out dryly.

"And _you_ attacked _us_!" Xander pointed out, waving his weapon for emphasis. "Me? I'm always for sorting these things out through conversation," he muttered to himself before confronting his leader. "Why can't we ever talk anything out?"

Nick shrugged.

A sinister smirk settled across Sakmis's face and a fang flashed. "How 'bout we even the odds, nya?" A dark seal appeared between him and the Rangers.

"Xander!" Vida barked as she and Madison joined the guys.

"What?" He barked back.

"Focus!" She used her MagiStaff to point at the purple seal rotating in the middle of the small clearing. There was a flash of light and the seal was gone, leaving in its place a large, tall, very round, very furry thing.

"It's..." Maddie began hesitantly, "kind of cute—what?" She asked defensively, ducking her shoulders and head as four black visors of varying shapes snapped toward her. "It is!"

And while none of them were about to agree with her out loud, she was right. To put it simply, the new arrival looked more less like a large teddy bear. A _baby_ teddy bear, complete with oversized diaper, bonnet, and rattle.

"Ohhh-kay," Xander hummed, shifting his weight to the left. "Am I the only one having a hard time taking this fight seriously all of a sudden?"

"Ooooh!" Chip's arm shot straight up into the air. "I am! I am!"

"Don't let your guards down," Nick ordered. "We don't know _what _he could be planning."

"You've no idea," Sakmis taunted. With a snap of his fingers, three things happened at once: several more dark seals appeared across the clearing, surrounding the rangers and unleashing numerous Hidiacs upon them, the bear creature let out a roar that was _far _from cute, and Sakmis leapt up into a graceful back flip to land seamlessly on a tree branch from where he watched the fight unfold.

"MagiStaff! Sword Mode!" Nick yelled just in time to block an attack from the Hidiac closest to him. Shoving up and out, he sent the Hidiac stumbling backward in time for Nick to throw a powerful kick backward to send another one flying into two others, sending them all into a chaotic heap on the ground.

Chip leapt backwards, throwing himself into a series of back flips in order to put some distance between himself and the Hidiacs. Doing so provided him with the chance he needed to summon his bow and give him the distance needed to _use _it. For each lightening arrow he fired, at least two Hidiacs fell to the ground, paralyzed or unconscious.

Vida immediately unleashed her wind power, knocking the feet out from under any Hidiac within a ten foot radius.

Xander slammed his axe into the ground. "Vine Power!" From the earth sprung countless vines that twisted and turned, knotting themselves around ankles and legs and torsos, bringing any and every enemy they caught to the ground and keeping them there.

Madison brought up her MagiStaff to block one attack while she blocked another with her forearm. Bending at the knees slightly, she suddenly straightened shoving up and out to push them away. Then she suddenly dropped to the ground and swept out the feet from underneath a Hidiac in front of her before flipping over the fallen opponent and out of the way before the others could retaliate.

Dodging a blow to the head, she stumbled back and into another body. She gave a sigh of relief when that body happened to be Nick.

"Sorry," she breathed, fending off an attack.

"Don't be, you've arrived just in time," he replied. Grabbing her wrist he yanked her toward him, but just as she was about to crash into him, he bent at the waist. Continuing with the momentum, Madison rolled across his back swinging her legs out in a cartwheel fashion. She sent two Hidiacs flying with powerful kicks before her feet where on the ground once more.

"The bear!" A new voice shouted. "Look out for the bear!" Bursting through the trees the Gold Ranger arrived, brandishing her sword, and with a transformed Daggeron at her side.

Nick's attention snapped to the bear immediately. His eyes widened to see it charging toward them all, its giant rattle held back and over its shoulder. As the rattle came down in a sweeping motion Nick didn't even think before reacting. Tossing his sword aside, he wrapped his arms around Madison's waist, pinning her arms to her side as he spun them around, shielding her with his body.

From the rattle, a thick shower of glimmering spores burst forth. Vida immediately threw up a wind, preventing any of the dust from touching her, but a bit preoccupied with opponents Xander and Chip had no option but to be bathed in the stuff. Protecting Madison, Nick too was covered in a thick layer.

"Three out of five..." Sakmis hummed. "I'll take it." With a snap of his fingers multiple spell circles appeared, pulling the Hidiacs underground as well as the oversized bear, and then he too vanished.

"Nick?" Madison murmured after a moment, her heart pounding as hard as his against her back.

"Are you all right?" He asked, his arms unfurling from around her waist.

"I should be asking _you _that," she admonished, turning around to face him.

"I feel fine," Nick said, confused. Rotating his shoulder forward, he glanced back at his shoulder blade to get a better look at the dust coating his back.

"What is that stuff?" Madison asked, reaching to touch the spores when a hand caught her wrist.

"Don't touch it," Daggeron instructed, gently lowering her arm as he studied the spores. Pale copper in color, they looked like over-grown pollen spores.

"What? Why not?" Maddie questioned, a trace of worry seeping into her tone. "Do you know what it is, Daggeron?"

The knight shook his head. "I've no idea, which is why I don't want you touching it. We don't know what it does, but I doubt it's anything good."

Nick felt his stomach knot as worry for his own well-being sunk in, but Daggeron was right. The less of them that came into contact with the spores the better.

"Should I start panicking?" Chip asked as he came over, brushing at the dust on his arms. "Because I can do that!"

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't," Vida told him, sidestepping to avoid the dust he sent flying everywhere. "I think we're all high-strung enough as it is."

"Rose?" Daggeron said, turning to the Gold Ranger. Nick had informed them all that Rose was the name she'd agreed to answer to. "I don't suppose you know what the purpose of these spores is?"

The girl shook her head with a helpless shrug. "I've never seen that thing before. I haven't heard anything about it either...though, it was sort of cute."

"That's what I said!" Madison said with small smile.

"Yeah, yeah, it was cute," Xander dismissed, "but was it _dangerous_? I mean, last time any of us got covered in something, Nick and Vida couldn't transform."

Vida and Nick exchanged a look. "That was fun," she scoffed bitterly.

"And inconvenient," Nick added. "There's only one way to find out if that's its purpose though. Release our transformations and try it out."

"The sooner the better," Xander announced. Letting his transformation go, his suit vanished in a shower of green light.

Nick and Chip followed his example, but before any of them could reach for their morphers and give it a go, the spores which had remained after they had all untransformed, began to glow dimly before they seemingly sunk into their clothes and skin.

"Uh-oh," Chip hummed, patting at his arms and chest. He peered closely at his palms to see if there was any residue. "That can't be good... can it?"

Nick and Xander were too busy checking themselves over to answer.

Rose answered in their place. "No. I really don't think it can."

Nick frowned as a tingling sensation began in his fingers. Raising his hand up for closer inspection, his frown deepened as the tingling spread across his palm, to his wrist and up his arm.

"Nick?" Daggeron said at the same time Maddie took a concerned step toward him.

Before he could reply, he, Xander and Chip were encompassed in a blinding light, forcing the others to look away. When it ebbed, the three of them were gone leaving behind three piles of clothing on the forest floor.

"Xander?" Vida called, looking around. "Chip? Guys!"

She was answered by first one cry, and then another, quickly followed by a third. She turned toward her sister, the butterfly-shaped visor hiding the look of utter bewilderment on her face. "Noooooo. There's no way," she scoffed, a hint of doubt in her tone. "Right?"

Maddie didn't reply. Instead she dropped to her knees next to one of the clothing piles. She pulled back Nick's leather vest and found squirming beneath it a squirming, crying baby. A naked one. "Oh!" Blushing furiously, though no one could tell, she quickly wrapped the infant in the vest and scooped him up into her arms. "Is this—?"

"Nick," Daggeron finished. "I—yes. Yes I believe it is,"

Following suit, Vida made quick work of bundling up baby Chip and Daggeron knelt to take care of Xander.

"This is bad," Vida said, bouncing Chip in her arms to soothe his cries. It wasn't long before he was giggling in her arms as she continued to bounce. "This is very bad. I don't do babies!"

"But you're a natural," Madison pointed out, shifting baby Nick into a more comfortable place in her arms, his head supported in the crook of her elbow.

"It's Chip," Vida protested dryly. "He's always been easily amused. Daggeron, please?" She approached their mentor, holding Chip out for him to take. She placed him in his free arm before the knight could protest and bent to retrieve all of the clothes on the ground.

Daggeron looked from Xander, who was still crying, to Chip who couldn't seem to see everything quick enough.

"Where's Rose?" Madison asked suddenly. Vida and Daggeron glanced around.

Vida snorted. "That girl disappears as quickly as she shows up."

"An issue to be dealt with another day," Daggeron told them as he readjusted his hold on the two infants in his arms. "We'd best get them back to Root Core."

The two sisters hummed their agreement.

"Just so you know?" Vida said randomly. "I am _not _changing any diapers."


End file.
